Memeorandum

June 20, 2017

They All Died Serving Their Country, Even The White Ones

The NY Times covers the deaths of seven US Navy sailors in a collision with a Japanese freighters and seizes an opportunity to advance their favored diversity narrative. Sadly, that means the two white male sailors who died are left to share one paragraph of a thirty four paragraph eulogy. No tearful interviews or fond remembrances from friends and family for these two. White privilege must always and everywhere be resisted.

7 Sailors Emerged From Diverse Backgrounds to Pursue a Common Cause

By DAVE PHILLIPS June 19, 2017

The seven sailors who died when the destroyer Fitzgerald collided with a container ship last weekend were a snapshot of the nation they served: an immigrant from the Philippines whose father served in the Navy before him; a poor teenager whose Guatemalan family came north eager for opportunity; a native of Vietnam hoping to help his family; a firefighter’s son from a rural crossroads in the rolling green fields of Virginia.

To be fair, the firefighter's son is one of the white guys so his existence is acknowledged in the lede. Their only other mention is near the end:

Also killed were Gary Rehm Jr., 37, of Elyria, Ohio, who followed in the footsteps of his World War II veteran grandfather by joining the Navy, and was just months from retirement, and Dakota Rigsby, 19, of Palmyra, Va., who before joining the Navy volunteered for his local fire department alongside his mother.

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Cuz it's MEAN! donchknow?

"Why it matters: It's all part of the administration's efforts to build momentum for the repeal effort ahead of the Senate vote next week, and it could give a nudge to Senate Republicans who are reluctant to vote for the bill. President Trump will keep talking about the ACA's problems in critical states — he's likely to bring it up in Iowa today — and HHS Secretary Tom Price is tweeting videos with doctors and patients talking about the law's problems.

But House Republicans aren't prepared to show their hand yet, although they also hope to resolve the issue before the August recess begins. Yet with a possible health care vote in July — if the Senate passes a bill — top House Republicans are worried that the two issues could become entangled politically, making two already difficult votes even tougher.

Though the Treasury Department has said Congress can likely wait until September to avoid default, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his lieutenants are increasingly disposed to clearing the Senate’s plate as much as possible before heading home for August recess. That would also likely mean decoupling the debt ceiling from a potential government shutdown fight in September.

It’s not clear what exactly such a bill would look like, but members of both parties are interested in a broad spending deal that would avoid the blunt budget cuts of sequestration. A “clean” debt ceiling increase — one with no policy strings or cuts attached — might be a problem for a GOP majority filled with fiscal conservatives.
Ya think? Senate Republicans appear to be sticking it to the House, which, ridden with GOP deficit hawks, is the real sticking point when it comes to raising the debt ceiling without corresponding spending cuts.

Congressional Republicans are also reportedly debating trying to hike the debt ceiling enough that they won't have to deal with it again for several years. Ha! Good luck with that.

Of course, strong leadership from the White House can surely bridge the gaps. Enter Trump Budget director Mick Mulvaney, a former “Freedom” Caucus member, and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who are at fisticuffs over the matter. So yeah, this amounts to another GOP instance of all talk, no plan. But sure, take that vote. With any luck, it will sink health care in the House too, if it even makes it there.

"law enforcement in Belleville had been called to Hodgkinson’s residence due to complaints of target practice he was conducting on his property."

Wonder if that was when a neighbor called the cops who arrived to find Hodgkinson firing away in a cornfield? Even if "on his property", cornstalks don't offer protection to others he can't see who might be outside too. And where's any indication his enabling wife issued any warning to anyone re her ticking time bomb hubby?